Former India opener turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra said that the hosts could have avoided enforcing the follow-on, and they could have batted again in the Delhi Test against the West Indies as well. However, Chopra explained that India could have allowed the pitch to deteriorate again before asking West Indies to bat a second
time as well.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Chopra said: “I was in two minds. That’s a call that has to be taken on the basis of what the pitch is doing and how tired the bowlers are. To be fair, India playing five proper bowlers, with Nitish Reddy as an option, they might have felt that everybody has got enough gas in the tank. I think the declaration was a little too soon. Also, India could have batted and allowed the pitch to deteriorate a little further and then could have wrapped up things quite easily.”

While Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja combined to claim eight wickets in the West Indies’ first innings, India managed only two wickets in 49 overs in the second innings on Day 3 as well.

“Tiredness towards the end was something that stood out. India declared when all of us where thinking that they might bat for a little longer. They had to bowl a lot on Day 2 and entire Day 3. It is hard work on a surface which is not spin-ready, which is made of black clay and not red soil. There is less bounce, pace and sideways movement. Eventually you felt Kuldeep Yadav was dropping the ball a bit short,” Aakash Chopra concluded.